Cacio e Pepe Primavera-Style

I love pasta. It is such a versatile ingredient, and the way people are using it now is a far cry from the 'normal' tomato-based spaghetti bolognese and lasagne of my youth (which were still delicious, Mom!). Today's popular versions are much lighter, and I think they're perfect for vegetarian palates as they celebrate fresh ingredients.

Cacio e Pepe and Pasta Primavera are two styles, in particular, that I'm seeing a lot of recently. Cacio e pepe (literally 'cheese and pepper') is a cheap, delicious meal. I love the peppery heat in it, but it isn't necessarily the healthiest. When you're trying to be more plant-based, it's important to incorporate vegetables into every meal, so I took inspiration from some of the vegetables in my Riverford vegetable box and combined pasta primavera with cacio e pepe.

Broad beans require a little work, but their lovely green freshness is so worth it. After taking the beans out of their pod, blanch them in salted simmering water for 2-3 minutes and immediate refresh the beans in a bowl of ice water. This will make their outer skin much easier to remove. And don't throw the skins away!! You can make vegetable stock out of them.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe, and I hope you enjoy it!

Cacio e Pepe Primavera-Style
Serves 2
Time: 30 minutes

150g dried spaghetti
1 TBSP rapeseed oil
2 tsp freshly crushed pepper
2 courgettes/zucchinis, finely julienned, spiralized, or cut into sticks with a mandolin
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
60g parmesan cheese
1 bunch of fresh broad beans, de-podded and skins taken off (see above for how to do this)
1 egg yolk
1 TBSP chopped, fresh basil to season
More freshly grated parmesan to season

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a rapid boil. Add the spaghetti and bring back to a rapid boil. Cook for 8 minutes until almost cooked through, but a little al dente in the middle.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan until hot and shimmery. Add the crushed pepper and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it burning.

Add the courgettes and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium for 5 minutes or so until the courgettes are soft.

Reduce heat to low, and add the parmesan to the courgettes. Use tongs to take the spaghetti out of its water and straight into the sauté pan. DO NOT discard the spaghetti water. Stir until the parmesan is melted and everything is combined. Add the broad beans and cook for 3 minutes over low heat, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. After the broad beans are heated through and soft, remove from heat.

Place egg yolk in a bowl, and whisking very quickly with a fork, whisk in half a ladle of the reserved pasta water. With the spaghetti off the heat, stir in the egg/water mixture until it is fully combined and the pasta is glossy with thick sauce. The residual heat will cook the egg without curdling it, but make sure to keep stirring the pasta after the egg is added until it is fully incorporated. If it is too thick, you can thin it out with more of the reserved pasta water.

Garnish with chopped basil and extra freshly grated parmesan.